Mole Anxiety please help me!

[MoleAnxiety]

Hi, I’ve just been to the mall clinic for my first ever full body check.

It was really thorough and the women seemed totally “on it”

… I’m ginger and have a lot of moles and freckles, I’m 37 and was burned a few times when I was younger so I felt it would be a good thing to start doing annually. (As well as upping my sun protection game).

Anyway… I sort of was expecting to be reassured and sent on my way, but she took dermascopic photographs of three separate moles to send for a dermatologists opinion.

One of them, she kept coming back to, kept asking me about it… It’s on my bum. Absolutely no sun exposure! But I can’t remember how long it’s been there, I honestly don’t know… I have two small children, and I don’t really look at my bum…. it could have been there for years or months or weeks

its 6mm diameter and brown/pink and has symmetrical edges. But I suppose it is bigger than the others and looks a bit different. It’s not raised. Completely and utterly flush, like a big freckle.

There were another couple of similar ones that were smaller than the one I have attached , she said they look different to my other moles and she wanted to check with the dermatologist.

Surely she wouldn’t have done this if there wasn’t a reason to worry?! I have heard of amelancytic melanomas (probably misspelled) that can look pinky brown and now I’m terrified .

I feel like such an idiot and I’m racking my brains, but I cannot remember seeing this mole before which makes me even more scared. I have two small children and tend to worry terribly about anything that could bring about my demise before they are old enough to look after themselves!

I’ve sent my husband to pick them up from school as he is working from home today (I’ve just got back) as I just didn’t think I could face the school gates .

72 hr wait for doctors opinions - I really hope that they get back to me before the weekend.

Has anybody else been in this situation?

Mole clinic not mall clinic!

Another pic with finger for scale. It does look different to all the rest

She is doing her job. We can't really reassure that it is not anything. Neither can she at the moment. That's why she is doing further investigation. You have totally done the right thing. Early intervention. Don't worry about the if and buts, because you are so so so far off that journey yet. Cross that bridge, If you ever need to get there.

Thanks . I know she is doing her job, it wasn’t complaint. I feel utterly sick and was hoping to hear from others who’d been in the same boat.

I’ve got loads like that. I don’t know what that means though!

Sorry I didn't mean it like that. What I'm trying to say, it is a good thing, she is doing the correct thing. Which is good, really good. Get it checked and then you can tick it off this worry list. BTW I'm mole central and have loads just like that x

Thanks - sorry I’m probably being oversensitive.

3 working days to hear back and I was seen at lunchtime today so I really hope I get some kind of answer by tomorrow.

Hello!!! Regular mole-checker here. Clearly not a medical professional, but in my experience of having moles checked often, and being completely paranoid about it, I've had loads of weird ones appearing - big, small, raised, irregular etc.., and turned out to be nothing.
On my latest check they found two moles which that thought were suspect. Which to me, looked completely fine, had been there years, not changed etc. They took them out, popped them off to the lab and they turned out fine.
Not sure this helps or not.

Hi @rampila that does really help thank you. Several times last night but it wouldn’t let me post the message.

It’s just nice to talk to people! Thanks

I too have a lot that are similar to that … I too am fair. I’m not medically trained but understood that the colourless melanoma are raised not flat like yours. I’ve been to dermatologist and he has not been concerned by similar moles. Try not to worry

thank you @Notagoodtime that help alot. yes its totally flat, not even dry/crusty

This has got me in a panic now, as I have one EXACTLY like that.
I've had it for as long as I can remember and it's never changed. I never thought anything of it, but this has really made me wonder.

I am covered in ones like that. I get checked annually by my GP who has a special interest in skin. She's always reassured me they're fine. She looks at them all using some special eyeglass.
Three days is a great turnaround time. I'm sure it will be fine but it's good to get them checked.

Update.

Of the three sent to dermatology , all came back benign. The one I posted the pic of (7x8mm) is classed as a a mild-moderate dysplastic Nevus due to being over 6mm diameter . Although benign they want to check this one again in a few months to make sure it hasn’t evolved at all. This is (I think) because you need to be more careful with dysplastic nevi as there is a small chance it could “evolve” …. So I think it’s routine that they look at these over two time points. Assuming it hasn’t changed at the next check, I think I’ll be on yearly checks after that. Although monitoring at home 3 monthly or so.

I’m forbidding myself from checking my moles constantly. I’ll put it in my diary and check them against earlier photos 3 monthly, and go for my annual full body check. As well as upping my sunscreen and arm covering game !